Gay Men's Health Summit - Deadline for Proposals May 1

You are invited to submit a proposal for presentation at the 2010 Gay Men’s Health Summit. The theme of this year’s summit is the next decade of gay men’s health in the broad context of wellness, with all its challenges and opportunities.

The Summits are not academic meetings. They are not professional development conferences. They are experiential and personal. Your name badge will have your name on it, that’s it.

The Workshops
The National Gay Men’s Health Summit is eager to turn your ideas into living breathing sessions. You will get 60 or 90 minutes, a room and some chairs (and a projector or flip chart – see below). After that, it’s up to you. We will ask you for five pieces of information regarding your session proposal – the title, the content, the format, who you are, and how Summit attendees can reach you.

Content

We encourage you to think broadly in terms of your proposal. Please let us know if there is something you would like to experience at the Summit that you are not able or ready to present. We may try to recruit someone who can.

Format

Formats with a substantial, experiential component are highly encouraged – no talking heads with slides, no program evaluation or program description sessions. We encourage you to use one of the following formats, or to make up your own.

Think tank – put an idea on the table and let everyone wrestle with it. This often works well with “small group” breakout sessions.

Caucus – get a bunch of like-minded (and maybe some not so like minded) guys together to share experiences and build connections.

Fish Bowl – gather a few people who have thought deeply about an issue to share brief, prepared remarks, and riff off of one another, with some time for audience reflection.

Physical experience – Yoga, dance or some other kind of shared participatory physical experience that may or may not have any “talking” part to it.

Performance – A staged event. A short play, dance performance, visual display, or literary reading, with time for audience reflection.

Writing group – Share a piece of writing with other attendees for critique and discussion.

Educational – A presentation of research or information. The most popular workshops are those that promote interaction among attendees. You are encouraged to be creative in structuring your presentation if this format is selected.

Who you are

Tell the audience a bit about yourself to create desire for attendance at your session. Make it short. Five to ten words works best. We will cut you off after 40. We will remove any academic credentials or professional affiliations from your description. Make it personal and compelling: the goal is to attract people to your session.

Contact info

Include a method for attendees to reach you, preferably by e-mail and/or twitter, or if you prefer, a blog page, or social networking site, or even a telephone number or mailing address.